After messing around for half an hour, Tsuki ended up in a total mess, just as she had wished. Shuichi felt as if he was about to attain enlightenment, a kind of dazed epiphany washing over him.
"Take care of yourself. I'm heading back," Shuichi said, no longer bothering to mention how she had burst into laughter earlier. At the same time, he gained a newfound respect for An Akiyama's ability to sleep through anything.
Even though her sister had been laughing like that, with all the noise and the bed shaking, she still managed to sleep so soundly. Truly…
Being able to eat and sleep like this—not bad.
Shuichi shook his head. If he had been like this in his previous life, perhaps he wouldn't have been so worn out and would have been much happier.
He pulled back the curtains, stepped onto the balcony, and retraced his way back. Meanwhile, Tsuki remained lying beside her sister, panting heavily, savoring the afterglow.
So exhilarating.
Being beside her sleeping sister, with the constant risk of being discovered and her image potentially crumbling at any moment, that sense of danger…
It was truly indescribably thrilling…
Her delicate toes curled slightly, then slowly relaxed again, as if savoring the sensation.
In her sleep, An Akiyama's little nose twitched as if it had a mind of its own, sniffing curiously, seemingly puzzled.
…
Breakfast was uneventful. Because they had spent too much time earlier, Tsuki didn't overindulge and quickly finished her meal before heading off to her private school.
After enjoying a nourishing breakfast, Shuichi wandered leisurely around the entire shopping street before returning to the beauty salon, all while enduring the resentful gaze of the Yoshinoya manager.
He found Fumika, who was busy organizing, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her carefully sort and arrange bottles of essential oils.
"Anything I can help with, my beautiful lady? I'd be delighted to be of service." He said with a teasing smile.
Fumika quickly turned her head upon hearing his voice. When she saw him, her face immediately lit up with a sweet and joyful expression.
"I can handle the rest of the work on my own. But I'm afraid I won't have time to spend with you today," She said apologetically.
"It's fine. Just reliving the memories of last night is enough to keep me in a great mood all day." Shuichi replied, stepping forward to gently peck her on the lips.
Mmm, sweet.
Fumika pursed her lips, her eyes full of affection. "Once everything's set up tonight, would you like to be the first to take a look?"
"Oh? Then does that mean I can also get a sneak preview of my lady's services?" Shuichi teased, lightly tracing her cheek with his fingers.
"If Chiba-kun wants, of course, there's no problem. It's just that after being busy all day, I might not have much energy left by evening, so it might not be my best effort." Fumika said earnestly.
"No worries, I like it when my lady is out of energy." Shuichi replied with a meaningful smile.
Fumika's face immediately turned red. "Chiba-kun, you always tease me…"
"Don't you like it?"
"I didn't say I don't like it…" Fumika murmured softly, lowering her head slightly.
"So, you do like it? Do you want me to tease you again in the future?" Shuichi said, taking her soft hand and toying with it gently.
"Mm…" Fumika shyly nodded.
"In that case… as you wish," Shuichi said, cupping her face and planting a kiss on her forehead. "As long as my lady needs it, I'll always tease you."
Fumika couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
"I won't bother my lady while she's busy. As for me, a man with nothing to do, I'll go waste some time elsewhere." Shuichi said with a carefree smile.
He felt that if he stayed any longer, the beauty salon's opening time might end up being delayed.
And as for time—if you don't waste it, what else are you supposed to do with it? Work? Being able to do absolutely nothing and bask in the sun all afternoon without a care—that's what life is about.
The mentality of feeling guilty for taking a break, like in his previous life—that was what was truly off, wasn't it?
…
After leaving the beauty salon, he wandered next door to the gym. Sayuki was in the middle of inspecting various pieces of equipment, dressed in a form-fitting yoga outfit.
"You're actually up today?" Sayuki raised her eyebrows in slight surprise upon seeing him.
"…Really? Just how weak do you think I am, Sayuki-san? Do you honestly think I can't even get out of bed? Fumika-san isn't some kind of succubus." Shuichi retorted, feeling a bit exasperated.
"I meant you're up this early," Sayuki clarified as she circled around him, scrutinizing his appearance. "Looks like I underestimated your stamina. Tomorrow night, let's do a full assessment and adjust your fitness plan accordingly."
Shuichi immediately grew alert at her words. "I think Sayuki-san's previous assessment was spot on. I really am weak; sticking to the original plan would be just fine."
"Heh, too late." Sayuki sneered coldly.
"Ah, fine then. As long as Sayuki-san is happy." Shuichi said, shrugging. In truth, he didn't mind high-intensity training that much; he was just saying it to joke around.
"Aren't you busy trying to curry favor with my sister? What are you doing here instead…" Sayuki trailed off as something occurred to her. Her gaze suddenly turned sharp. "You little pervert—don't tell me you've 'devoured' my sister and now can't be bothered to pay her attention anymore?"
"Sayuki-san, that's too much! I literally just came from next door," Shuichi said, spreading his hands innocently. "Fumika-san is so wonderful—how could I ever neglect her?"
"Oh, you mean her thighs are so wonderful?" Sayuki rolled her eyes at him. But then she thought to herself, Well, of course. Knowing this guy, there's no way he'd ignore my sister without the prospect of having both sisters at once.
"Not just her thighs; everything is wonderful…" Shuichi said with a dreamy expression.
That smooth, soft sensation… ah…
Sayuki stared at him speechlessly, wishing she could pry open his head to see exactly what was going on inside.
"If you've got nothing better to do, don't mess around here. There's a lot to take care of today; I don't have time to chat with you."
"I do have something." Shuichi said.
"Speak." Sayuki crossed her arms and looked at him.
"Your new shop is opening. Do you need me to help with some promotion? I've done it before for the ramen shop, and you've seen how effective it was." Shuichi offered.
He knew that Sayuki usually handled these sorts of things, so he hadn't bothered to ask Fumika about it.
Sayuki felt a warmth in her heart at his words. This little guy does have a conscience after all—he's not the type to just take everything and then turn his back.
"I appreciate the thought, but there's no need for promotion. My sister and I both have a steady clientele, and a small shop like ours has limited capacity. Word-of-mouth within the 'ladies' circle' is more than enough. Too much promotion wouldn't be very meaningful." Sayuki said matter-of-factly.
"True," Shuichi agreed. He had just looked around the beauty salon earlier; it was a small, personal shop that could only accommodate three to five people at most. Any more, and it'd be impossible to manage, leading to a decline in reputation.
Moreover, beauty salons and gyms were different from ramen shops. Loyal clients weren't as restricted by location. After all, the kind of people who could afford the time and money to visit were usually full-time housewives.
Whether they stopped by during a shopping trip or drove over outside of rush hour, a little distance wasn't an issue.
"Anything else? If not, I need to get back to work—time is limited." Sayuki said again.
"You know I mentioned it before—I have to bite back," Shuichi said, his gaze landing squarely on her rosy lips. "Otherwise, I'll feel like I got the short end of the stick."
Sayuki gave him a faintly amused look, but Shuichi remained completely unfazed. He didn't feel embarrassed at all; instead, he seemed entirely justified, as if this were his natural right.
The two locked eyes for a moment before Sayuki suddenly pushed him against the wall. Grabbing both of his wrists with her left hand and pinning them above his head, she raised a leg to press against his thigh. With her right hand, she gripped his chin, smirking as she teased him:
"Gutsy, but you're just a frail little boy. No way you can pull it off…"
With that, she kissed him hard.
…
A few minutes later, Shuichi left the gym, covering his mouth and sucking in sharp breaths.
"This is too much. What is she, some kind of animal? Biting like that… If this keeps up, I'll be able to get a lip piercing without pain. Just wait until I get in shape…"
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